“Taking away peoples freedom is whats best for users! It’s the American way!”
T-Mobile, AT&T oppose unlocking rule, claim locked phones are good for users
Submitted 10 hours ago by return2ozma@lemmy.world to technology@lemmy.world
Comments
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 10 hours ago
empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 hours ago
“Narcissistic domestic abuser claims the exit doors that are locked from both sides are just for the protection of their spouse”
DaddleDew@lemmy.world 8 hours ago
Is there a technical term for when a company or corporation makes a statement that is a blatant bad faith argument like that?
I nominate “Corporate auto olefation crepitu”. Where they enjoy smelling their own farts
Cryophilia@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
It’s always the same argument. “This objectively bad thing for consumers is actually good for consumers because it allows us to offer a lower price!”
No, dipshits, you are choosing to make your product shittier than necessary and charging customers to undo your shittery. That’s not some external thing, it’s something that you chose.
Nutteman@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
Gaslighting?
Tenniswaffles@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 hours ago
Not even close.
uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 hours ago
Locked phones are what led me into the rabbit hole of purchasing phones from manufacturer, since the carriers not only lock phones but hobble the OS.
It did mean understanding what was necessary for a phone to qualify for given carriers, but I can tech when I need to, and I tech for my friends when they need it.
In 2024, T Mobile and AT&T (and Verizon) have all demonstrated they do not engage in good faith commerce, and so right now they’re being sniveling little shits (quote me please) because the FCC and DoC are escaping regulatory capture.
That is to say, the end users are tired of their shit. Apple and Google, too.
EngineerGaming@feddit.nl 2 hours ago
“Rabbit hole”? Isn’t it as easy as just not going to a carrier’s store for it?
We always bought from generic tech stores, almost always big chain ones - never got a carrier-locked device. Is it different in the US?
return2ozma@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
My T-Mobile phone that’s been unlocked and moved over to Google Fi has the T-Mobile image whenever you start up the phone. I’ll only buy phones directly from the manufacturer now.
ShepherdPie@midwest.social 4 hours ago
You’d have to flash new firmware for that to change. In the old days each phone was carrier specific and had to have the exact right firmware but now they’re fairly generic and are cross compatible (do your own research). You could check XDA Developers for the process.
MrShankles@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
Question: I bought my phone unlocked several years ago. I have AT&T. But apparently, because I didn’t buy it from AT&T, my visual voicemail refuses to work
I’ve tried and given up several times to fix it, and it’s not a huge deal; I just miss being able to check my voicemail without calling it.
Do you happen to know anything about this. Every “fix” I’ve found has failed so far
bdonvr@thelemmy.club 5 hours ago
Meanwhile Verizon has already been unlocking after 6 months
scottmeme@sh.itjust.works 9 hours ago
Never buy a phone from your carrier, they will do some evil shit to try and force you to stay
five82@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
It was probably incompetence more than malice but T-Mobile customer service incorrectly told me multiple times that I was not allowed to pay off my phone balance early to unlock it. I’m on US Mobile now and I’ll never go back to post paid.
barsoap@lemm.ee 8 hours ago
With Deutsche Telekom, never attribute to incompetence that which can be attributed to greed.
lnxtx@feddit.nl 8 hours ago
If they are good, why then the Europe ended that practice nearly 2 decades ago?
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 6 hours ago
They must hate freedom!!
mlg@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
They aggressively buy spin off services to ensure a locked market as well.
Cricket wireless was a on AT&T network provider that outshined AT&T because it allowed any device + better prices.
So naturally they bought them out and shutdown the any allowed devices to force you into buying a carrier phone to ensure your device will be locked.
teleprintme@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
If I don’t own my phone, then I’m not paying for it. Period.
Shdwdrgn@mander.xyz 9 hours ago
It’s weird to see T-mobile taking this stance. I switched to them years ago because they were one of the few that supported unlocked phones, and even offered them for sale. Their policies might have changed on this, but I just bought an unlocked phone off Ebay this Summer and all I needed to do was pop my sim card into the new device. Hell I had to specifically install the visual voicemail app because there wasn’t any bloatware on the phone when I got it. So I guess I’m not following what their complaint is about?
ozymandias117@lemmy.world 8 hours ago
Every carrier lets you use an unlocked phone on their network
T-Mobile no longer lets you buy unlocked phones from them
Shdwdrgn@mander.xyz 7 hours ago
That’s a shame to hear, but yeah they’ve certainly changed since I signed on. Not that I expect any other to be better at this point.
BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
I remember their “Uncarrier” slogan and how they were doing things very differently from the big providers and even led to them doing away with contracts and such.
darkdemize@sh.itjust.works 8 hours ago
Wasn’t that before they bought out Sprint, though?
barsoap@lemm.ee 8 hours ago
Newsflash: T-Mobile is a big provider. They took some standard European practices, also technology, and then pretended to be a small scrappy startup in the US until they had enough of a customer base to return to their usual monopolistic ways.
The only thing that keeps them half-way in check over here is forced unbundling: If you have network infrastructure you need to let other providers use it, at regulated prices. Which is really necessary as they inherited every single landline in the country from the old state monopoly.
Be glad that the postal service got broken up into telecoms, postal/parcel and banking before getting privatised if it hadn’t it would be an absolute scourge on the world. Imagine them cross-financing such market takeovers with the additional resources from the largest logistics company in the world (DHL). Banking sector is less impressive right now Deutsche Bank doesn’t know what to do with it. I have no idea why they even bother, they don’t care about end-consumer banking there’s no money in that.
Sanctus@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
But if we unlock your phones from the start we lose control over you :( pwease
cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 8 hours ago
They shouldn’t be locked at all. If the phone is included with the contract, it probably requires you to pay it off if you cancel early anyways.
Venicon@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
Fuck the lot of them. Shop around for the best deal that doesn’t try to screw you over.
littletranspunk@lemmus.org 3 hours ago
For my past 3 phones I just bought straight from the manufacturer.
I recommend it and hope phone unlocking gets pushed through despite their whining
pHr34kY@lemmy.world 53 minutes ago
I haven’t financed a phone since 2008. I copped a fee for ending a 24 month contract a day early.
I just buy a cheap outright handset, flash a community ROM and avoid everything my telco offers past a $20 basic service. Handsets with community support go for years past what the manufacturers support.